New York's Finest
by Andie24
Summary: Mac Taylor is one of the greatest thieves there is. With plans for his biggest heist yet, he enlists the help of Stella Bonasera. Together, they build a team of some of New York's Finest. Thieves, that is. An AU fic full of suspense. Mac/Stella, DL, FA.
1. Welcome To The Team

_So this is my second story but first attempt at an AU. The idea came from watching Ocean's Eleven. I just thought, wouldn't it be fun to read about our favorite team as they crossed over to the other side of the law? I wasn't going to write it but my muse thought otherwise so here it is. Let me know what you think._

_I don't own anything surprisingly. _

_-Andie_

)()()()()()(

Chapter One: Welcome To The Team

)()()()()()(

The yellow taxi cab pulled to a slow stop outside of the building. The sound of the brakes was drowned out by the footsteps and chatter of the many pedestrians that flooded the sidewalks of New York City's Upper East Side. Rays from the warm sun beamed onto the hoods of parked cars, creating streaks of bright lights that reflected onto the glass windows of the many high end retailers placed strategically along the street, preying on the rich and wealthy to come and spend fruitfully. The warm June morning was inviting, encouraging those in its wake to take advantage of the majestic weather and meet the day with ambitions to enjoy it.

That's why Mac Taylor was currently exiting the cab outside of the tall condominium. He paid the cab fare and casually made his way into the building. To anyone who didn't know him, they would think that he belonged there. Of course, however, he did not. Of all of the talents he possessed, Mac considered that to be his favorite. The ability to act as those he belonged. Looking back on his life, he knew that that was the reason he had been able to achieve the many things he had.

He gave the doorman a slight nod as he walked into the building, quickly navigating his way through the revolving doors. He made his way into the empty elevator and pushed the button that indicated the fifth floor.

The elevator ride was a short one and his destination was reached quickly. He left the elevator and made a left, walking about ten feet until coming to the door he had been told was the right one. He fist pounded the door three times.

About twenty seconds later the door swung open to reveal the face he had been looking for.

"Surprised to see me?" Mac asked with a small smirk.

Sid Hammerback's mouth hung slightly open as he stared at the figure before him. "Damn right I am," he said, a wide smile appearing on his face. "Come in Mac, come in." The old man ushered him in quickly, closing the door behind him.

Mac walked a short distance into the modernly decorated penthouse apartment. The walls were painted a light beige that accented with the gold frames of the many paintings that hung on the walls.

"Now Mac, if it were anyone else, I would ask what they were doing here but with you, I think I already know that answer to that question," Sid said as he led Mac down the hallway and into one of the many living rooms in that Mac was sure were in the penthouse.

"Maybe I'm just here to say hello to an old friend," Mac commented, following Sid.

Sid chuckled as he took a seat in one of the many parlor chairs in the room. He gestured for Mac to do the same in a chair across from him.

Within five seconds of Mac sitting down, a woman dressed in a maid's uniform appeared with a tray of drinks causing a laugh to erupt from Mac. He accepted the drink, giving Sid a knowing look.

"What?" Sid asked in mock innocence as he took a drink of his own from the tray.

"You've seem to have done well for yourself."

Sid smiled as he sat the glass on the end table next to his chair. "Well of course. But enough about me. I'm curious to hear your reason for visiting Mac."

Mac leaned back in his chair and let out a small sigh. "Like I said, just visiting an old friend."

Sid tilted his head and stared at Mac with a smirk. "You know I know you better than that Mac."

Mac let out another sigh as his eyes trailed along the walls of Sid's penthouse. They stopped at a large marble statue of a woman that sat in the corner of the room. "New statue?"

Sid turned his head to see what Mac was referring to. When he turned back he had a shy smile on his face. "It was a gift," he said with a shrug.

"The Orsay Museum in Paris gave it to you?" Mac asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Fine, fine. I was there on vacation when I decided that my living room could some new décor," Sid said, taking a sip from his drink. "But enough of this chit chat Mac. Tell me the real reason you're here. Last time I heard, you were rolling in a take home of 2.5 mil."

"Yeah well, now I'm down to about 2.5 dollars," Mac admitted.

Sid's eyebrows went up in surprise as he stared at Mac. "How do you lose 2.5 mil in what, five months?"

Mac shrugged as he took another swig from his drink. "Bad investments here, pointless purchases there."

Sid shook his head at Mac. "You know Mac, for a guy as careful and controlling as you, you are lousy at keeping up with your money."

Mac laughed at Sid's comment, knowing the truth behind it.

"Sid,"

His laughter was cut short by the sound of a woman's voice entering the room. He looked up to see her standing in the entryway. Mac couldn't keep his eyes off her as she drifted gracefully in the room. Her deep brown curls hung loosely from her head, perfectly framing her face. Even from his seat, Mac could see the sparkle in her olive eyes as she looked between him and Sid. Her body was that of a Greek goddess: tall, statuesque, exquisite. She went to stand next to Sid's chair, eyeing him curiously.

"Ah, Stella," Sid greeted as he looked up at her from her chair. "I want you meet a good friend of mine, Mac…"

"Taylor," she filled in on her own.

Mac's eyebrows rose as he eyed her carefully. He wanted to speak but was unable to find any words.

Stella laughed at his expression. "Don't worry Mr. Taylor. I know all about you and the jobs you've pulled off in the past. I have to say, I'm a fan. You're one of the greatest thieves in the business."

Mac finally was able to recover long enough to speak to her. "Why thank you Ms…"

"Bonasera," she told him.

"Bonasera. I like it," he said with a smile before turning to Sid. "So, how did the two of you meet?"

Sid held up his hands at Mac. "Oh no Mac, it's not what you think. Stella here is my daughter."

Mac's eyes shot open in surprise. "Daughter? I didn't know you had a daughter."

"Neither did he," Stella commented as she moved to take a seat next to Sid.

"Turns out that I made more than just money when I pulled off the job in Greece all those years ago," Sid said with the raise of an eyebrow.

Mac laughed out loud at Sid's comment. "You're one of a kind Sid."

Sid nodded in agreement. "That I am," he said. "So, Mac. Who's the target?"

"Target?" Stella inquired, looking at Mac. "You're planning another job?"

Mac hesitated as he watched Stella's curiosity grow before him.

Sid took notice and spoke up. "Don't worry Mac. Stella here takes after her old man when it comes to pulling off jobs. Turns out she had made quite a name for herself in the business before the two of us even met."

Mac nodded at Sid before turning back to Stella. "Jack Hancock."

Stella's mouth dropped open as Sid nearly choked on his drink. Between the two, it seemed that neither could gather a voice. Eventually it was Stella who spoke first.

"Wait, wait. Jack Hancock, the billionaire real estate guru?" She asked.

"The one and only," Mac answered simply.

Finally, Sid was able to find his voice. "Mac, you're crazy. He's like the richest man in the city. There is no way you can pull this off."

Mac leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees. "Not alone. But if you can help me get a good enough team, we could do it."

Sid scoffed as he leaned back in his chair. "Mac, you don't get it. Not only is Hancock rich, he's powerful too. He's got ties to all kinds of people in this city, not to mention the NYPD. His security team is probably better than that of the President's."

Mac couldn't help but chuckle. "I know. But I've done high profile before and I know you have too. It's simple. All we have to do is break into his office, steal his bank information, and then take it from his account."

Sid stared at Mac incredulously "Do you hear yourself when you talk? I mean, not only is his office guarded tighter than a military base, whatever bank he uses is sure to be one of the most technology advanced in the city. It's impossible."

Mac shook his head. "Not if I have the right people. I know you know some people Sid. At least five or six good ones will do."

"Mac, even if I knew people who could do it, I don't see why they would. Anyone who agrees to do this with you would be…"

"I'll do it."

Both Mac and Sid's heads turned towards Stella who sat with her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk on her face.

"Stella," Sid started.

"Don't worry Sid. I've done big jobs too. Most were back in Greece but they were big nonetheless. I mean, as long as we get a good team I don't see why we can't pull it off," she told him before turning to Mac. "So Mac, you'll let me be a part of it?"

Mac smiled back at her as he leaned back in his seat. "Welcome to the team, Ms. Bonasera."

)()()()()()(

_So, what do you think? Continue?_


	2. Recruitment Part 1

_So I really wanted to say thank you again to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. I honestly didn't know if anyone would like it but the response I got back was overwhelming, so thank you!! I hope I can keep in interesting for everyone. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks!_

_I don't own anything. :(_

_-Andie _

)()()()()()(

"_Welcome to the team, Ms. Bonasera."_

Stella smiled proudly at Mac's invitation. "Thank you Mac. It'll be nice to work with one of the best."

Mac smiled before turning to look at Sid who just rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine, fine, I'll help. But we spilt this evenly amongst ourselves, right? However many people we get, that's how many ways be split it."

Mac nodded in agreement. "Deal."

Sid sighed as he shook his head at Mac. "I don't know how I let you pull me into this. I was supposed to be retired."

"I didn't pull you into anything Sid," Mac replied with a smirk. "You don't have to be a part of this if you don't want to."

Sid looked at him with a look of disbelief. "Do you really think I'm going to miss an opportunity like this? Besides, you need me Mac." He frowned when he saw Mac start to chuckle. "I don't see what's so funny."

"Look Sid, I'm not denying the fact that I need you. You've got all the connections. With a job like this, we're going to need the man power."

Stella turned to look at Mac. "How many do you think we'll need?"

He shrugged lightly. "It's not really about quantity, but more about quality. We're going to need people who are experts in particular areas."

Sid nodded and stood from his chair. "Well then, let's get started."

)()()()()()(

"_So, I say we start with the basics. Electronics."_

_Sid leaned back in his chair as he listened to Mac. The trio had moved to sit in Sid's office located further into the penthouse. He sat behind the large mahogany desk in a black leather chair. The walls of the office were lined with paintings that Mac recognized from museums around the world. He knew some where purchased but others he could tell were not._

"_You know anyone who would be able to handle it?" Mac asked Sid._

_Sid shrugged lightly and looked back at him. "I just might."_

The coffee shop was relatively empty except for a few lonely patrons. A man in a suit was seated at a table, running a hand over his balding head. The amount of stress the man was most likely dealing with was obvious to anyone who passed by him. He ordered a cup of coffee but did nothing but stare at it. A couple of tables over there was a young woman leaning over a sketchbook. She carefully moved the pencil in her hand in many different directions; working on what she hoped would be her next masterpiece.

Lastly, in a booth positioned in the corner of the shop, there was a young man with short brown hair, typing away on his laptop. His fingers moved at a pace that most would never be able to achieve. His eyes remained fixated on the screen, only occasionally would the glance around the room.

His latest glance allowed him to notice two new customers to enter the building. He immediately recognized both, however only having met one of them. He sat completely up and waved his hand in their direction.

"Sid," he called out.

Sid noticed his presence and turned to look at Mac who looked over at the young man. The two made their way towards the booth and slid into the side across from him.

The young man stared in awe at Mac, surprised to see him at his most visited vicinity. "Wow, you're Mac Taylor, like one of the best thieves in Chicago." He spoke fast, clearly entranced by Mac's background.

As Mac watched the man with raised eyebrows, Sid took the time to make introductions. "Well, since you already know Mac, I'll bypass that part of the introduction. Mac, meet Adam Ross. He's one of the best computer specialists in the business."

Adam grins sheepishly, looking at the computer then back to Mac. "I wouldn't say I'm the best, or wait, maybe I would," he said. He started to chuckle after his joke but slowly stopped when he realized he was the only one laughing.

"Right," he said, trying to cover up his obvious laughter. "So, the two of you together can only mean one thing."

"We wanted to know if you're interested in helping…"

"Yes," he said, preventing Mac from finishing his sentence.

"You don't even know what the job is yet," Mac stated.

"Hey, if it gives me a chance to work with you then I'm down," he paused, glancing around the coffee shop once more. "So uh, who is the target?"

"Jack Hancock," Sid answered.

Adam's eyes got wide as his view darted between Mac and Sid. "Jack Hancock, super rich real estate guy Jack Hancock or Jack Hancock, my cousin's old college roommate Jack Hancock?"

Mac glanced at Sid, subtly giving him a questionable look. Sid just nodded and looked back at Adam.

Upon noticing that no one was going to answer his question, he spoke up. "Sorry, I just got a little, uh, whatever," he waved his hands around his head, trying to make a point. "So, you guys are going to try to rob Jack Hancock?"

"We are," Mac told him. "Sid here tells me you might be interested."

"Definitely. I mean, it's probably going to big the biggest thing I've ever done. We're looking at hacking into all kinds of security systems here. Not to mention everything is either password protected or something, but the type of technology this guy probably has is going to need fingerprints and voice samples. Plus once we get in the system, everything changes. Every download is recorded and filed away somewhere. We're gonna have to completely erase every little step we take and …"

While Adam continued his rant, Mac glanced over at Sid who had a satisfied look on his face. "What do you think?" he asked Mac.

Mac shrugged and turned back to look at Adam who was still talking. "He'll do."

)()()()()()(

_Stella sighed as she leaned back in her chair. "The more I think about it, the more I realize that this job is going to be harder than I originally anticipated."_

_She looked up to see that she had both men's attention. "I mean, think about. When we walk out of that building, we're going to need to know every possible escape route. I don't know about you guys but I don't know New York City well enough to know every single alley way and underground tunnel._

_Sid smiled at Stella. "I know someone who does. Well, make that two someones."_

The night air was warm, enveloping each individual in their own personal blanket of heat. The particular street that the pair found themselves on was quiet and desolate, not a soul to be found. A faint wind blowing through the air was the only sound they heard.

Stella turned to look at Mac, her curls blowing around her face loosely. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

He glanced down at the small piece of paper in his hands, rereading the handwriting again. "This is the corner that Sid said to stand at. He said wait until one o' clock am and right now it's," he stretched at his arm to glance at his watch, "five till." He looked back at Stella. "We're early."

Before Stella could respond, a low humming noise caught her attention. "You hear that?"

Mac glanced to his left and looked down the street. "It sounds like a car."

They listened as the noise grew increasingly louder. A moment later, two sets of headlights came into view and the outline of two cars became visible.

From where he stood, Mac could see the two sport cars speeding down the street, each trying to past the other.

As they neared the street that Mac was standing on, one of the cars swerved in front of the other, causing the second to fall behind. When the first car reached the street, it brakes and turned around to face other as it slowed down to a stop. The driver of the second car got out and began yelling at the driver of the first as he too, slowly got out of the car.

"You cheated. Ya do know that right?" The driver of the second car asked. Even in the dark, Mac could see the reflection of his glasses that rested on his face.

"Look, either way, I still would have won," the driver of the first car countered. He was a lot taller in comparison to the other man. His dark hair was cut close to his head. He chuckled as the other man continued to argue his point.

Stella threw a glance at Mac upon noticing that both men had different, yet strong New York accents.

"Excuse me," she called out.

The heads of both men turned in her direction. From the looks on their faces, it was obvious that neither knew of Mac or Stella's presence.

"Yeah?" The shorter man replied.

Stella noticed how both men seemed to be slowly retreating towards their cars. She held up her hands as she walked closer to them with Mac doing the same. "We're not cops okay, trust me," she told them.

"Well then, who the hell are you?" the taller one asked.

"Friends of Sid Hammerback," Mac told them.

Both men glanced at each other, recognizing the name.

"I'm Stella Bonasera and this is Mac Taylor."

The taller man's eyebrows scrunched on his face at the mention of Mac's name. "Mac Taylor…where have I heard the name before?" he asked his companion.

"Weren't you the guy who robed that bank I Chicago or something?" The shorter one inquired.

Mac glanced at Stella with a look of disbelief on her face. "How does everyone seem to know me?"

Stella shrugged as a smirk played on her lips.

"Yes, that was me," he told the young men.

The shorter man reached his hand out towards Mac. "Danny Messer, nice to meet ya. The cheater over here is Don Flack," he said introducing them. "So Sid sent ya, huh?"

Mac nodded. "He figured you two might be interested in a little job where planning."

"What kind of job?" Don asked with raised eyebrows.

"Were going to rob Jack Hancock," Stella informed them.

"You're kidding," Danny said with a snort as Don shook his head.

"That's not really a 'little job'," he said.

"I know, but Sid said the two of you know New York really well," Stella offered.

"Like I know my own mother," Danny commented.

"Good, we need guys like that. This whole thing is going rely heavily on knowing where to go and the best way to get there. Plus, it seems like you two know your fair share of stuff about cars too," Stella continued.

Danny nodded in agreement while Don crossed his arms over his chest. "What's in it for us?"

"So far, we agreed to split that take home evenly. You too would bring the total number we have so far to six."

Danny glanced at Don with a satisfied look on his face. "Seems fair enough." When he saw Don nod in agreement, he turned back to Mac and Stella. "We're in."

)()()()()()(

_The rest are coming soon, I promise. :)_


	3. Recruitment Part 2

_Okay, so I have to give another huge thank you to everyone who reviewed or added this to an alert. I really appreciate it. I love that people are actually enjoying this idea. Hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint._

_And of course I don't own anything._

_-Andie_

)()()()()()(

Chapter Three: Recruitment Part 2

)()()()()()(

"_Okay, so we have a computer guy, two drivers, and the three of us. What else are we missing?" Mac inquired._

_Sid tilted his head slightly to the right in thought. "Well, assuming his bank is full of security measures that are going to require more than just hacking into the system, I say we need someone who excels at, let's see, how should I say it…getting through things," he answered._

"_Getting through things? You mean like explosives?" Stella asked._

"_Well, yes. But I know a guy who can come up with a scientific formula for just about anything."_

The apartment building they drove to was not very far from Sid's. Though the building seemed to be less expensive than Sid's, it still proved to be rather impressive.

"Another penthouse?" Mac asked once they were in the elevator.

Sid just smirked at Mac and remained silent.

Mac chuckled to himself as the elevator stopped on the third floor. Sid led him down the hallway to one of the doors on the left. He looked up and down the hallway as Sid knocked on the door and waited patiently for the occupant to answer.

After about a minute, Mac looked at Sid in question. "Are you sure that someone's home?"

"He's there, trust me. He just a little engrossed in his work sometimes. Happens to the best of us," Sid commented as he knocked on the door again.

Finally, the door swung open to reveal an African-American man dressed in a lab coat. He had thick black glasses that rested on his face and his hands were covered with latex gloves.

"Sid Hammerback, long time no see," he said with a wide smile, offering his hand to Sid.

Sid shook the man's hand and returned the gesture with a smile of his own. "Nice to see you Sheldon. I want you to meet a friend of mine, Mac Taylor. Mac, this is Dr. Sheldon Hawkes," he said, tilting his head towards Mac.

"Mac Taylor," he paused, the recognition evident on his face. "Wow, it's an honor. I've read about you," he said, offering his hand.

Mac eyed it suspiciously, curious to the reason for the gloves.

Sheldon noticed his hesitation and spoke up. "Don't worry, I didn't start anything yet," he insisted with another smile.

Mac raised his eyebrows in amusement as he shook the man's hand. "Nice to meet you," he told him.

"Likewise," he replied before moving back in the apartment. "Please, come in," he told the two.

Sid led the way through the doorway and into the apartment.

To Mac's surprise, the layout was not at all like he expected. From his view, all Mac could see was metal tables set up around the room covered in papers. There wasn't any furniture except for the computer chairs that sat in front of the many computers located against the walls. As they moved further into the room, Mac spotted a large metal machine with wires sticking out from all directions placed in the center of what he assumed to be the living room. In Mac's opinion, it looked like a oversized washing machine.

"New project Sheldon?" Sid asked.

Sheldon shrugged as he moved towards the machine. "Just a little restoration. They were going to get rid of it from this science museum in Philadelphia so I decided to save them the trouble."

"What does it do?" Mac inquired.

"Not entirely sure yet," Sheldon answered, looking proudly at the machine. "But hey, that's the fun of it. Trying to figure out its purpose."

Sid turned to make with a grin on his face. "Some people spend their time restoring cars; Sheldon spends it restoring mysterious machines."

Both Mac and Sheldon laughed at Sid's comment. "So, can I offer the two of you anything?"

Mac shook his head. "No thank you."

"We're actually here to talk to you about a job," Sid spoke up.

Sheldon nodded as he took a seat in one of the computer chairs, gesturing for Mac and Sid to do the same. "I figured that was the reason for this surprise visit. So, who are you two criminal masterminds planning to rob?"

Sid and Mac glanced at one another before turning back towards Sheldon.

"Jack Hancock," Sid answered simply.

Sheldon's eyebrows rose slightly as he sat back in his chair. "Wow, that's really…ambitious."

Sid nodded in agreement. "It's very ambitious, which is why we're here. We're in the process of getting a team together and I figured you'd be able to help us out in some way," he paused as he watched Sheldon carefully. "So, what do you say?"

"Count me in," he answered.

After Sheldon agreed to become a part of the team, the three talked for a bit longer before Sid and Mac left. As the two walked back towards the elevator, Sid looked over at Mac.

"What?" he asked, noticing the look on his face.

"Nothing," Mac replied.

"Mac, it's never 'nothing' with you. Just like it was never 'nothing' with my ex wife. And trust me, when I say 'nothing' I mean…"

"Sid," Mac interrupted.

"Oh, sorry. So, what's your problem with Sheldon?"

"It's not really a problem, just more of an observation. I mean Sid, he seems so…" he trailed off, trying to find the right word.

"Nice," Sid offered.

"Yeah," Mac replied as they entered the elevator.

Sid shrugged as the elevator began its decent. "Not all thieves are necessarily bad people, Mac. Sheldon is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, but he's also one of the best criminals as well. Interesting, I know but that's just the way he is."

"Well, that works for me."

)()()()()()(

"_Okay Sid, I think we have a good enough group," Stella commented._

"_I don't know. I think I know one other person that we could use," Sid replied._

"_Who?"_

"_Ever heard of the Angell family?" he asked her._

"_You mean the infamous mob family?"_

"_Yup, that's the one."_

"_Wait a minute," Mac interrupted. "You not talking about using one of the Angell brothers are you. I heard that one is in prison, one no longer works in the business, and the other two are in hiding for the last job they pulled."_

"_And all that is true. But I bet you didn't know that Cliff Angell also had a daughter."_

The moment they entered the bar, the smell of smoked filled Stella's nostrils. It was mixed with the scent of alcohol. The combination made her grimace as she followed Sid through the bar and towards a back room. The man standing outside of the door recognized Sid immediately and pushed open the door, allowing the pair to pass.

They made their way down the hallway until they came to another door. Sid knocked three times on the door and waited until her heard the muffled 'come in' from the other side.

He opened the door to reveal a man seated behind a desk, smoking a cigar. He was a rather short, plump man with gray hair cut close to his head. He smiled when he recognized Sid immediately.

"Well if it isn't Sid Hammerback. Damn surprised to see you," he greeted, taking another puff of his cigar.

"How are you doing Cliff?" Sid greeted with a smile.

"Good, good," he said before his eyes moved to Stella. "And who might this pretty lady be?"

"Cliff, I want you to meet my daughter Stella," Sid told him.

"Nice to meet you sir," Stella said with a smile.

"You too. I didn't know you had a daughter Sid."

Sid chuckled lightly as he looked back towards Cliff. "I know, but I'm actually here about your daughter. She around?"

"She is," a voice spoke from behind them.

Sid and Stella turned around to see an attractive brunette standing in the doorway. She smirked at Sid as she leaned against the door frame. "What are you doing here Sid?"

"Looking for you Jess," he stated.

"You planning a job Sid?" Cliff asked.

"Jack Hancock," Sid told him.

Unlike everyone else Sid had talked to, Cliff didn't at all seem surprised to hear the target. "You want Jessie to help?" he asked.

"Yeah, we figured we could use her talents. I'm sure there will be some tight spaces and Jess is the only person I know who can bend in just about every direction possible."

Cliff chuckled as Jess walked around Stella and Sid to perch herself on the edge of her father's desk.

"You interested Jessie," Cliff asked her.

Jess smiled at him before turning towards Sid, another smirk on her face. "Of course."

)()()()()()(

"_Alright, I think we're done…" Sid trailed off, seeing the look on Mac's face. "You think we need one more Mac?"_

"_I think we need someone on the inside. I mean, as talented as the whole group is right now, we're going to need to someone to be in Hancock's circle. Looking at who we have right now, I think they're all needed on the outside."_

"_I know someone," Stella spoke up. _

_Both Sid and Mac turned to look at her, a little surprised. _

"_You know someone?" Mac asked._

"_Yes I know someone. She'll be perfect for being on the inside. Plus let's just say she's good for something else too."_

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Mac asked.

Stella smirked at Mac as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You doubting me Mac?"

Mac shook his head with an amused expression on his face. "Wouldn't dream of it Stella."

"Good," she said as she led him through the room.

She had brought Mac to a restaurant in lower Manhattan. The theme of the restaurant was that it was famous for offering customers live country performances every night. Normally the bar would fill up every night and the workers found themselves making quite the tip. One would be surprised at how many country music fans there were in the city.

Stella took a seat at the bar as Mac did the same.

"So who is the person were supposed to be meeting?"

"She's over there," she said.

Mac followed her line of vision to spot a young woman serving food to a table of customers. Her brown hair was pulled up into a bun as she smiled sweetly at one of the customers. Her big brown eyes moved over every customer at the table as she finished placing down the plates.

Mac looked back towards Stella skeptically. "She's a criminal?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yup," Stella said with a smile. "Never would have guessed would you?" She laughed when Mac shook his head. "Which is why she's perfect for the inside. No one would ever suspect her. She has the whole innocent look."

Mac nodded in agreement as he watched the young woman. "You have a point," he said.

"Look," Stella said as she watched the woman too. "Watch when she walks by that guy."

She was referring to the man who sat at the very end of the bar. Mac watched carefully as the young woman walked past the man, to go behind the bar. As she did so, she brushed up against him, ever so lightly so that man didn't even feel it.

"You see that?" Stella asked as she turned back towards Mac.

"Did she just take his wallet?" he asked, slightly in awe. When he saw Stella nod, he shook his head in amazement. "I've seen a lot of pickpockets in my life but that was near perfect."

"Didn't I say she would be perfect for the inside? She'll be able to get all kind of things for us, key cards, keys, you name it."

"Nice Stella," he complimented.

She smiled sweetly at his comment. "Thank you."

She turned her head towards the bar where the young woman stood, gathering up some dirty glasses. "Lindsay," she called.

The young woman looked up at the mention of name. When she saw Stella her eyes widened in surprise as a bright smile spread on her face.

She walked towards the pair and chuckled as she looked at Stella.

"Stella?"

"Hey Lindsay. How are you?"

"Pretty good. What are you doing here Stell?" she asked, still surprised.

"I'm here to talk to you about a job. I want you to meet Mac Taylor," she said, gesturing towards Mac.

"Mac Taylor, wow. I've heard about you," she said.

"I'm beginning to notice that a lot of people have," Mac replied, earning a smirk from Stella.

"So, you two are planning something together?" Lindsay asked.

"Yup. We're going to rob Jack Hancock," Stella told her.

Lindsay eyes widened in surprise. "You're kidding?" she asked in disbelief.

"Nope. We want your help Linds. We figured we could possibly put you on the inside," Stella told her. "That is, if you're up to it," she added.

Lindsay let out a sigh in hesitation. "I don't know Stella. I mean, I've never done anything big like this before."

"I know, but we all have to start somewhere," Stella insisted. When she noticed that Lindsay was still hesitant, she continued. "Look, we have a whole team set up Lindsay. Everybody we have is great at what they do. I personally think you're the best pickpocket so I figured I ask you. We'll split the take home evenly so you'll definitely get a nice chunk of change from this."

Mac watched as Lindsay took in everything that Stella was telling her. "What do you say?" Mac asked her.

She looked up at Mac, a small grin coming across her face. "When do we start?"

)()()()()()(

"_So we have a computer guy, two drivers, a scientist, a contortionist, and a pickpocket. Plus the three of us. That's nine." Stella said._

"_You think we have enough Mac?" Sid asked._

_Mac sat back in his chair with a satisfied look on his face. "I think we have enough. I say it's time we get started."_

)()()()()()(

_Let me know what you think._ :D


	4. Making Plans

_Alright everyone, I'm back with another chapter. I hope you like it. Oh, and thanks again for all the reviews._

_I don't own anything._

_-Andie _

)()()()()()(

Chapter Four: Making Plans

)()()()()()(

Mac watched the view of the city from Sid's penthouse. The sun had just finished setting and he was able to watch the transition from the working crowd to the people out to enjoy the nightlife. The change happens quickly: first the sun is shining bright and people walk with serious expressions; determined to make best of the work day. As the sun sets and the businesses close, the sidewalk is filled with those who are ready to enjoy the evening and put the frustration of work behind them. As he looked out of the window, the sun's graceful exit from the sky left streaks of orange and purple.

"Mac." Personnel

He looked over to find Stella standing next to him, a concerned look on her face. "You okay?" she asked him.

"I'm fine," he said with a nod before turning to look behind him. "Is anyone here yet?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Hawkes just got here. That's why I came to get you," she paused for a moment, watching him closely. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine Stella," he said with a slight chuckle.

Stella eyed him with a smirk. "If you say so."

Mac laughed as he followed her out of the room he was in and into the living room. When they entered, he saw Hawkes in conversation with Sid. The pair stood in front of one of the large bay windows. Sid sipped his drink as Hawkes went on describing something as his hands moved about, helping to make his point clear.

At the same time, the maid entered the room, informing Sid that another guest had arrived. This time is was Adam who entered through the doorway. He spotted Mac and walked towards him, his computer bag resting on his shoulder.

"Hey Mac," he greeted before noticing Stella. His eyes got wider as his mouth sat slightly open.

"Adam," Mac returned with a nod. "I want you to meet Stella…"

"Bonasera," Adam interrupted. His gaze remained fixated on Stella. "Wow, um, wow, you're actually real and like, uh standing in front of me," he stuttered.

Stella eyed him carefully. "How do you know me?"

Adam's shifted between hers and the floor. "Uh, well you know the internet. I think you're amazing."

Stella's eyebrows rose at his comment.

"I mean like an amazing thief and stuff. Not just like amazing everything. Well, not that everything about you isn't amazing but how would I really know since we just met," he trailed off, attempting to hide his embarrassment with a nervous laugh. He mumbled something incoherently before making his way over to Sid and Hawkes.

Mac laughed lightly as Stella shook her head. "I'm on the internet?" she asked in disbelief.

"Now you know how it feels," he said jokingly.

Stella simply smirked at him as the two went to join Sid, Adam, and Hawkes.

As the group continued to converse inside, Don and Danny were making their way towards the building outside.

"So you do realize that if we get caught were going to jail forever," Don pointed out as they rounded the corner.

Danny simply shrugged. "When as that ever stopped us," he replied.

Don let out a small laugh. "True."

"Plus think about it," Danny continued. "I don't know an exact number but this Hancock guy is loaded. I'm sure whatever the take home is, it's gonna be worth the risk of getting caught."

"That's good. Maybe then you could be car that could actually beat me in a race," Don teased, gently shoving Danny to the right.

Danny didn't see Don about to push him so he wasn't prepared, causing him to bump into someone on his right side.

The force of their impact caused the young woman to stumble slightly. Danny reached out and tried to brace her before she fell, his hands pulling on her arms. He managed to pull her upright just in time.

"Sorry bout' that. Didn't see you standing there," he said apologetically.

The woman gave him a small smile as her brown eyes met his blue ones. "Don't worry about it," she assured him before walking off in front of him.

Danny watched her go before shaking his head. "Thanks a lot Don. Made me hit the poor woman," he said.

Don just laughed as they continued walking.

A few moments later, they had arrived at Sid's apartment. The maid had answered the door and had showed them the way into the penthouse.

"Hey Sid, how ya doin'" Danny greeted loudly as the pair made their way over to where the group was standing.

"Nice to see the two of you again. Staying out of trouble I hope," Sid said with a smile.

Don shrugged as he glanced at Danny. "Depends on your definition of trouble," he said, earning laughs from everyone.

"Don, Danny, I want you to meet Adam Ross and Dr. Sheldon Hawkes. I know you've already met Mac and my daughter Stella."

Everyone's eyebrows, except for Mac's, went up in shock when Sid announced that Stella was his daughter.

"You're his daughter," Adam asked, most surprised of all.

"Yup. Trust me, it's a long story," Stella told him.

Before anyone else could comment, the maid entered once again. "Mr. Hammerback, Ms. Jessica Angell has just arrived."

Sid nodded as Jess made her way over to the group. Her hair bounced lightly on her shoulders as she reached them, her eyes meeting Don's briefly before turning to Sid. "Hey Sid."

Sid smiled sweetly at her before gesturing to everyone else in the room. "Jess, I want you to meet Adam Ross, Dr. Sheldon Hawkes, Mac Taylor, you already met Stella, Danny Messer, and Don Flack."

He smiled at everyone in the same order that Sid introduced them. When she got to Don, he was already staring at her, smiling broadly. "Hi."

"Hi," she replied softly.

Their gaze remained fixed on one another for a moment longer before Sid began to talk to Jess. Don smiled to himself before turning to see Danny staring at him with a grin. "What?"

"Nothing man," Danny said with no attempt to hide his sarcasm.

Don just rolled his eyes and joined in the conversation with the rest of the group.

Danny just laughed at his friend as his eyes trailed around the room. They landed on the door when they saw the maid enter with a young woman behind her. His eyes widened when he saw that it was the same woman he bumped to on the street. He walked over to her, curious to why she was there.

When she finally noticed him, her eyes widened just like his did a moment ago.

"Hey, you here to see Sid?" he asked her curiously.

"Yeah. You too?" she asked.

"Yeah. Danny Messer, how ya doin'" he greeted, his accent prominent.

"Lindsay Monroe," she replied.

"So uh, how do you know Sid?"

"I don't really. I know Stella. She's the one who asked me to come."

"How do you know Stella?"

"I met her on her transfer flight when I moved here from Montana. I recognized the jewelry she was wearing from the news and we got to talking."

"Lindsay, you made it," Stella called out, interrupting the two. She gestured for them to come over towards the group.

As they began walking, Danny leaned on closer. "Alright remember when you meet Sid, make sure you call him sir. He's funny about that kinda stuff."

Lindsay looked at him before nodding slightly just as they reached the group.

"Everyone, this is Lindsay Monroe," she said. She went around and introduced Lindsay to everyone by name. When Stella introduced her to Sid, Lindsay smiled up at him. "It's nice to meet you Sir," she said.

"You too Ms. Monroe. And you don't have to call me sir," pointed out.

Lindsay immediately turned her head towards Danny who had chosen the same moment to look away, becoming increasingly interested in something on the wall. She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes as Sid began to speak up.

"Well," he started. "Now that where all here, I think it's time we get started. If you will all take a seat," he said, gesturing to the various seats in the room. Hawkes and Adam sat in two chairs that were next to each other. Don and Danny took seats on the sofa, while Jess and Lindsay sat on the adjacent loveseat. Stella perched herself on the arm on the loveseat, next to Lindsay.

Sid and Mac remained standing at the front of the room as they all faced the group.

"Now I just want to say that if there's anyone who doesn't want to be a part of this operation, speak now or forever wish you had."

Everyone was silent as eyes darted around, looking at each member of the group. "Well then, from this point on, I assume that were all in," Sid said before taking a seat on the couch next to Danny.

"Alright," Mac began. "Everyone has to understand that this is going to be hard. It's going to take complete concentration and lots of hard work and dedication. From what I hear, you are all the best at what you do so I'm going to need you to show what in everyone ounce of your work. We're going to have to work together to pull this off and I just want to know that everyone is willing to put in all they can."

He looked around the room as everyone nodded and mumbled a simple "understood" and "no problem."

"Good," he said, nodding at Stella who moved to stand next to him.

"Now, the first thing we have to do is get someone on the inside," she announced.

"Who?" Don inquired.

Stella turned to look at Lindsay with a smile. "Lindsay's going to do it."

"How exactly? I mean, I don't think she can just apply for a job," Jess pointed out.

"Very true. We've been lucky enough to know that Hancock's personal assistant is from California. She's going to get a call from a doctor," she paused glancing at Hawkes, "that her recent blood tests she had done came back with some interesting results, results that are going to force her to have to take some time off from work. Lindsay is going to be sent from a temp agency that we made up," she explained.

"Whoa, whoa," Danny said, holding his hands up. "Is that even gonna work. I mean are we really supposed to think that Hancock is just gonna Google 'temp agencies' and pick the first one he can find How do we know he's gonna pick Montana?" he asked, glancing at Lindsay who gave him a look.

"Adam already created a website for it that makes it appeal to people such as Hancock. Besides, he's not going to hire Lindsay Monroe his he Adam?"

Adam looked up at the mention of his name. "Huh, oh right." He reached into his bag and pulled out a card, handing it to Stella.

Stella handed it to Lindsay who saw it to be a driver's license. "Lucy Belknap," she read aloud.

Adam shrugged lightly as he smiled at her. "I don't know, you look kinda like a Lucy."

"What the hell kind of a last name is Belknap?" Danny asked.

Adam shrugged at his question. "I think I saw it on TV somewhere."

"Anyway," Stella interrupted. "Lucy Belknap comes highly recommended by many other higher ups. Or at least that's what her resume is going to say."

"Okay, today's Saturday. That means that she most likely won't start until Monday. What do we do in between now and then?" Sheldon questioned.

This time it was Mac who answered. "Were going to spilt up and see what we can learn about the building," he said. He turned to look at Adam. "Adam, I want you to stay here and see what you can find online. Maybe blueprints or something. Hawkes, you can help him. Danny, you and Lindsay are in charge of finding somewhere to set up shop. Abandon warehouse, old apartment building, something of that nature. We just need somewhere that can't be linked back to anyone of us. Don and Jess, you two work on learning the security personal at the office. I want to know who works when and what shifts. Sid, Stella, and I will work on finding more about Hancock." He watched as everyone mentally took down what they were supposed to be doing.

"Is everyone clear on everything?" Stella asked.

When she received universal compliance, everyone got up to start making plans on when to meet and when to start.

Danny walked over to Lindsay. "So I guess we can meet tomorrow morning. Is that okay?"

"That's fine," she answered him.

"Alright. See ya tomorrow Montana," he said before turning to walk away.

"Oh, Danny," she called after him.

"Yeah?"

He watched as she reached into her purse and pulled out something. "You dropped your wallet earlier."


	5. The Key

_Hey everyone! I know I replied to everyone's review late but I still wanted to say thanks. If I forgot anyone then I'm sorry and thank you! I hope you all will enjoy this chapter!_

_And I don't own anything. Shocker!_

_-Andie_

)()()()()()(

Chapter Five: The Key

)()()()()()(

Of all the days New Yorkers had lived through over the course of the early summer month, that particular Sunday morning was proving to be the hottest. While normally Sunday was a day spent casually at the park, enjoying a stroll with an old friend or tossing a Frisbee with the family pet, it instead was being treated as a day of staying home. People took the time to clean the kitchen knowing they had been putting it off since winter or catch up on e mails that had yet to be responded to. Regardless of way the day was being spent, it was almost a certainly being spent at home, trying to enjoy that last day before the work week began again and to avoid the heat. One could say that no one went to work that Sunday. Well, almost no one.

Jack Hancock sat his desk, just as he did every Sunday. He always worked Sundays. It was his favorite day to work. Not many people were there which left him in a quieter environment; the way he preferred it.

He sat in his large brown leather chair that was placed in the exact center of his large mahogany desk. The only thing that graced the surface of the desk was his computer, and a small metal cup filled with few pens and pencils. There were no pictures of family or decorative figurines. Jack was not one to exploit his personal life at his job. Some would say he wouldn't acknowledge the fact that he was married until asked directly, and even then he might not admit it. But if those who knew him best were asked, they would all say that Jack was married…to his work. Not a day went by when Jack wasn't in his office. Some say he even comes on Christmas.

While that may be fiction, it was a fact that Jack was in his office that hot Sunday morning. He had yet to look up until his personal aid entered the room.

"Mr. Hancock." After three years of working for Jack, Sean Dorsey still found his boss to be intimidating. He stood in the doorway, waiting for his boss to notice his presence.

Sean was a tall, lanky young man, just having turned twenty eight. His light brown hair was cut close to his head, creating a look of simplicity as he liked to call it. His deep green eyes watched his boss as he waited for a response.

"Boss," he said slowly, not wanting to seem too eager.

Jack rolled his eyes, letting out a grunt as he looked up from his desk. "What," he growled, his dark blue eyes peering into Sean. He rested a hand in his hands, careful not to disturb his gelled back dark blonde hair.

"I just wanted to let you know that Angie was taking some time off."

Jack shifted his large, heavy set body in his chair as he stared up at Sean. "Who?"

Sean fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Angie Wellman, your assistant."

"Oh yes, the blonde," he said. "Tell her that if she wants to have a job when she comes back, she better have found a temporary replacement."

Sean nodded. "Already taken care of. She starts tomorrow."

Jack nodded slightly, a gesture that those who knew him well meant to mean 'good job'.

When he noticed Sean was still in the doorway, he rolled his eyes. "Yes?"

"Well, you see, it's my wife and I's one year anniversary so I was wondering if I could leave a little early."

Jack just looked back at his computer screen. "No."

Sean looked in disbelief at his boss. "But…"

"Look, I said no. If you really want to, take the time. Just don't bother coming back. Now out of my office."

Sean quickly left the office. When he was completely away from the door, he let out a long sigh. He knew that the phone call to his wife would not be a good one.

)()()()()()(

"So, uh, Montana huh."

Lindsay looked over from the passenger seat as they drove along the New York street.

"Yeah," she replied simply.

"Why'd ya move?"

Lindsay shrugged and looked back out of the window. "Just needed a change of scenery I guess."

Danny nodded and focused attention back on the road. Mac needed them to find a place to set up shop that was near Jack Hancock's office. "Alright so we know that Hancock's office is on the corner of Amsterdam and 64th. I'm hoping there's somewhere a couple blocks away which would put us close without being too close."

They drove in silence for a while, each looking out their perspective windows, trying to find something. After a few minutes, Lindsay pointed to a building.

"What about that."

Danny turned the car and pulled up next to the curb. He bent and looked out of Lindsay's window. "Looks like an old firehouse or something." He turned his head, taking in his surroundings. "West End and 70th," he said aloud. "Not bad Montana."

Lindsay rolled her eyes and stepped out the car. Danny chuckled and did the same, following her towards the front of the building.

He was right when saying that the building was an old firehouse.

The structure was a few stories high with an exterior made from dark gray bricks of large dimension. The windows had been boarded up with plywood, not allowing a ray of sunshine to enter the interior. Despite the occasional graffiti art on the wood or the weathered stain of the brick, the building seemed to be in decent shape.

"How bout' we check the inside out," Danny offered.

"Sure."

The pair approached the main door of the building. Danny reached out to push it open and found that it was already unlocked.

He grinned at Lindsay. "That was easy."

She couldn't help but chuckle as she followed him inside. As soon as they entered, they could sense the amount of dust on the building.

"Man, I didn't know dust had a smell," Danny complained with a frown.

Lindsay laughed lightly as she moved further inside the building. "Don't tell me you scared of a little dust."

"Ha ha," Danny said with another frown before turning back to the building. "Well despite the smell, this place ain't bad."

The entirety of the room was empty for the most part. An old kitchen table sat in the corner and there were several newspapers scattered on the floor. There was a spiral staircase towards the front that led to the upstairs. Danny and Lindsay shared a looked before heading towards the staircase.

The stairs creaked loudly under their weight as they ascended upwards. They reached the upstairs and moved with the room.

Like much the downstairs, it was a wide open space. An old couch sat against the wall, holding a vast amount of dust in itself. Danny moved towards one of the windows in the back of the room that hadn't been boarded.

The window offered a view of the city and in the distance, a view of the Hudson River.

Danny looked over at the water before turning to Lindsay. "Montana, seen a view like this? Huh? Beats the wheat fields no?"

Lindsay came to stand next to him and looked out of the window. "Have you ever even seen a wheat field?" she said before turning back towards the room.

"What's to see? It's just wheat," he said more to himself than to her.

When he noticed that she had walked away, he pulled out his phone. "Hey Mac, its Danny…Yeah, we found a spot."

)()()()()()(

Stella watched Mac from her position on the park bench. He was on the phone with who she guessed was Danny or Lindsay. He face was serious, as it often was. She had only known him for less than a week but already she was beginning to understand his character: no-nonsense, get the job done kind of guy.

"Interesting guy huh?" Sid said coming to sit next to her.

"Yeah, he is," she said with a smile. "How did you two meet?"

Sid sighed contently as he leaned back. "Wow, I guess it's been about fifteen years now."

"Wow, that's a long time," Stella commented.

"It is," Sid said in agreement. "Have you ever heard of Gregory Anderson?"

"Uh, the name sounds familiar."

"He's an architect based in Chicago."

"Ah," Stella said, recognizing the name.

"Anyway, the guy was one of the richest men in the city, which of course met I had to pay him a visit." He turned to stare at Mac. "But I wasn't the only one with that idea."

"Wait, you and Mac both tried to rob the same guy?"

Sid nodded. "On the same night. Of course I got to the money first," he pointed out. "But I was still impressed with his thought process. His plan was brilliant."

"But yours was better huh?" Stella said with a smirk.

Sid smiled sweetly at his daughter. "You know me too well. But still, I was so impressed that I asked him to help me on my next job. The rest is history."

Stella laughed lightly before turning back to watching Mac. She bit her bottom lip in thought. "But why do I sense that there's something else going on."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, sure Hancock's rich. But, there are a lot of rich people. Why him? I know there's the thrill of the job but there are a lot easier targets than this one. Why go for the hardest?"

Sid shrugged lightly as he looked over at Stella. "Sometimes, choosing a job isn't always about money."

Stella frowned at his comment as she turned towards him. "You mean it's personal?"

"As much as I want to tell you, that's a conversation that you have to have with Mac. He's a private guy and he doesn't give his trust to many people. I'm one of the few who have it, and I don't want to lose it. When he has full trust in you, like I know will happen soon, he'll tell you."

Stella nodded but barely had time to respond before Mac made their way back towards the pair.

"That was Danny," he said, holding up his phone. "He and Lindsay found an old firehouse not far from Hancock's office."

"That's great," Sid commented as Mac took a seat on the other side of Stella.

"So Mac, I thought we were supposed to be learning more about Hancock," Sid said.

"We are," he replied.

"So why are we in Central Park? It's like one hundred degrees outside." Stella asked.

Mac glanced down at his watch. "You'll see in about ten seconds."

Stella looked at Mac in confusion before following his line of vision up the path. That's when she saw her.

The attractive woman made her way along the large path, her eyes darting upwards, taking in the view of the greenery. She casually strolled along, swaying side to side slightly. She wore simple khaki carpis and a white blouse. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swung lightly as she walked.

When she reached a row of benches, she took a seat in the middle one, directly across from where Mac, Stella, and Sid sat.

She never once looked up as she reached into the tote bag she was carrying to pull out a book and began reading.

"How did you know she was coming?" Stella asked.

"She comes to the park every Sunday at this time. She sits in the same spot and reads. Every week it's a different book. This week, it _To Kill a Mockingbird_," Mac started. "She stays for approximately forty-five minutes before she leaves and goes to the café across the street. She'll order a plain bagel and coffee and read some more before heading back home."

Stella stared at Mac surprised, her mouth slightly hung open. "And you know this how?"

Mac shrugged lightly. "I've been watching her."

"But Mac, what does this woman have to do with anything?" Sid asked curiously.

"Well, in order for us to be successful, we've got to get close to her. Well, Stella has to get close to her."

Stella's head snapped over to Mac. "What?"

"You have to earn her trust," Mac told her.

"Why?" Stella asked, still confused.

"She is the key to this whole thing."

"Okay, okay, I'm confused. Who exactly is that?" Stella questioned.

"That is Peyton Driscoll Hancock, Jack Hancock's wife."


	6. Sympathy

_Hey! Another big thank you to everyone who reviewed. I really love them. I'm still in awe at the fact that so many of you enjoy this idea. It means a lot. Please keep it up!!!_

_And once again, I don't own anything._

_-Andie_

)()()()()()(

Chapter Six: Sympathy

)()()()()()(

As they always did, the fingers of Adam Ross moved at an exceptional pace, causing those around him to simply shake their head in both awe and disbelief. That was what Sheldon found himself doing as he sat next to Adam, watching the young man work magic on the laptop in front of him.

"Alright," Adam said over the sounds of the keyboards. "This is the website for Hancock's real estate business."

Sheldon leaned closer to the screen. "What do we have?" His eyes trailed along the side of the page, looking over the different links. "Click on 'history'.

Adam did what he was told and clicked on the link. A page appeared with a large picture of Jack on the top.

Adam let out a snort at the obviously posed picture. "With all that money you would think that the guy would be able to afford a better hairstylist," he said, chuckling at the end of his statement.

Sheldon looked at the younger man with a smirk, tilting his head slightly to the side, causing Adam to look down at his hands.

Sheldon shook his head and turned back to the computer screen. "Let's see, it says here that Jack Hancock started off with one employee and a small office in Buffalo." He continued to read further. "After three years his company landed a big project and moved to the city. A few years later, he got a huge project and was successful, enabling him to move into the beautiful Ackers building on Amsterdam Avenue."

Adam looked at the screen and picked up where Sheldon was reading. "Hancock realtors occupy the ninth and tenth floors, the ninth being for customers meetings and all agents while the tenth floor houses the executives, accounting…"

"And most likely the office of Jack Hancock," Sheldon finished. "Adam, is there any way you could pull up a blueprint of just those two floors of the building?"

Adam pursed his lips together. "Are you kidding me? I could pull up the blueprints to the entire city. Once, I went on this date with this girl and I found the blueprints of her apartment building just in case afterwards I had to know where her bedroom was so we could…"

"Adam," Sheldon interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest of his story.

"Sorry," he said before turning back to the computer. He typed on the keyboard, once again in an unbelievably fast pace. A minute later, the pair was staring at the layout of the office of Jack Hancock.

"Nice," Sheldon said, patting a hand on Adam's shoulder.

"Thanks," Adam replied, bringing up his hand to rub his shoulder.

Suddenly, both men heard the sound of someone coming up the steps. They turned to see Stella coming from the stairs. Her curls bounced off her shoulders as she approaced the two.

"Adam," she called out. "I need your help."

"Uh sure. What do you need?"

"I need you to find everything you can on a Peyton Driscoll Hancock," she told him as she took a seat on the other side of Adam.

"Hancock?" Sheldon questioned. "As in Jack Hancock's wife?"

"Yup," Stella confirmed.

"I didn't know he was married," Adam commented.

"Neither did I," Stella said. "Mac told me about her and said that she and I should become friends. He said that she was the key to this whole operation."

"How exactly?" Adam inquired.

"Mac didn't say exactly why, but my guess is she knows a lot of stuff that we need to find out."

Sheldon nodded in understanding as Adam went to work on his laptop. "Sheldon and I were just on the business' website and apparently there's a link entitled 'All about Jack'," Adam said, pointing to the screen.

Stella peered over and began to scan the page. "It says that Jack was born in…" she trailed off, mumbling to herself as she tried to past the unnecessary information. It wasn't until reached the fourth paragraph when she saw Peyton's name.

"It says here that Jack met his beautiful wife on a business trip to London twelve years ago. The two fell in love and Peyton moved to New York so she could be with Jack at all times," she read aloud.

"Sounds a little cliché if you ask me," Sheldon commented.

Stella nodded in agreement before continuing reading. "Peyton was a student at a prestigious London medical school before realizing that her true passion was in literature. Peyton spends a lot of her time in local library reading all kinds of works. She even volunteers there almost every day." Stella stopped reading and sat back in her chair. "Does that story sound a little too perfect to you two?"

"Definitely," Adam said.

Sheldon nodded his head. "Sounds like Peyton was well on her way to being a doctor before she met Jack."

"Who probably offered her the world to move back to the city and become his trophy wife," Stella added.

"As long as she drops out," Sheldon finished.

"I don't get it," Adam said. "I mean, why give up your dream just like that."

"Stability," Stella answered. "She knew marrying Jack would give her a stable lifestyle."

"So Stella, how are you going to get close to her?"

Stella smiled at him. "Looks like I'm going to the library."

)()()()()()(

Just as the quick weekend came, it went away and Monday morning greeted the city. Gone was the fun and excitement of weekend. Instead, the tasks and responsibilities of work filled the mind of New Yorkers; including Don Flack.

Granted the tasks and responsibilities he currently had were different than the typical worker, it was work nonetheless. He sat in the driver's seat of his car outside of the old firehouse, or as Adam dubbed it: the hideout, occasionally glancing at the person in the passenger seat. He'd been lying if he said that Jessica Angell didn't make an impression on him. He glanced once more in her direction as she stared out of the window.

"So, four older brothers and a mob boss for a father," he started, getting her attention. "Your old man send out a hit every time you get home from a date?"

"If it was up to him, I wouldn't have known boys existed 'till I was twenty one," she said, her gaze remaining out of the window.

"Well I'm sure the boys knew you existed."

For the first time since their conversation began, Jess looked towards Don, a bit surprised by his comment. "Was that a line Don?" she asked, causing him to look at her with a smile spreading on his face. "Did you just, bust out you game on me?" she continued, with a smile of her own.

He felt himself blushing and turned to look out of his own window. "What?" he replied quietly.

"It was wasn't it? Look at you, you're blushing," she teased with a laugh.

Don chuckled himself and turned to her. "Game? I have no game. And if I did that's probably as good as it gets."

"I think it's pretty good," she admitted with a bright smile.

Before he could reply, Danny appeared in Jess' window, surprising both occupants on the car.

"So I think…" he started but stopped when saw the smiles that were quickly fading from their faces. "Am I interrupting something?" he teased.

When he saw the look on Don's face whoever, he slowly backed up. "Uh, I was just gonna tell you that Lindsay is just about ready to head down to Hancock's so uh, yeah," he told them with a teasing tone still in his voice.

Just as he finished speaking, Lindsay appeared out of the doorway. She was dressed in a gray skirt suit, complete with a simple white blouse and low black heels. The skirt stopped jsut below her knees as she jacket reamined buttoned in the middle. Her hair was pulled back in a loose but with a small tendril placed behind her ear.

Danny watched her with an amused expression as she moved towards the car. "Goin' for the librarian look there Montana?"

Lindsay glared at him as she opened the door to the backseat of the car. "Actually Messer, it's Lucy Belknap, okay. She is a total professional who cares more about how she does her job as opposed to how she looks when she's doing it."

Danny crossed his arms over his chest. "You really put a lot of thought into her huh?"

Lindsay shrugged lightly. "A lot of this rides on me being in that office so I want to make sure I can pull it off."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Danny told her.

Slightly taken aback by the amount of sincerity in his voice, all she could was nod before getting in the car.

Danny sent her a slight wave as Don started the car and pulled out into traffic.

)()()()()()(

Lindsay stood outside the massive skyscraper, staring up at its magnitude. True, they were robbing Jack Hancock which in a sense would make him the enemy, but she had to admit to herself, she was rather impressed. In her opinion, anyone who could turn a simple Buffalo business into a booming empire was smart. But she knew she couldn't spend time admiring Jack Hancock. That would only make things harder.

Lindsay knew that she was unsure if she was ready for it. Sure, she had stolen plenty of wallets. But after each one, she always felt bad; like she was taking piece of someone's life away. But she would always tell herself that it was only a few twenties or maybe a fifty; nothing too bad.

With Jack however, it was shaping to be a lot more than just a few twenties. She wondered if she would be able to walk away with millions of dollars and not feel bad. For all she knew, this guy was just like everybody else; trying to make a living for his family. Did he have kids? Was he married? Lindsay shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts. _You can't think like that Lindsay _she thought to herself.

Shaking her head once more, she pushed forward, clearing her head of all thoughts.

She made her way into the building and towards the elevators. The man she talked to on the phone, someone named Sean, told her to report to the tenth floor. She found that the button had already been pushed and there was already a small group of people waiting to board the elevator. Soon enough, the elevator doors slid open.

Like they always were on a Monday morning, the elevators were crowded; full of executives and assistants alike. Lindsay was able to squeeze in the corner, next to two tall men in suits.

The elevator, much to her dismay, stopped on every floor before hers. By the time it reached the tenth floor, there were only a few occupants left.

She exited the elevator and made a left towards the front desk. The receptionist, an old woman with dark grey hair and plastic glasses sitting on the edge of her nose, looked up at her with a smile.

"Welcome to Hancock Realtors, how may I help you?"

"Hi, I'm looking for Sean Dorsey. Today's my first day," she told the woman with a smile.

"Just a second dear."

Lindsay nodded and took a step back as she watched the woman speak into her phone.

What seemed like only a second later, a young man appeared, eyeing her carefully.

"Lucy?" he questioned.

For a moment, Lindsay found herself wanting to correct him, saying her name was Lindsay. However, the feeling went away as she soon nodded her head. "Yup, that's me. I take it you're Sean."

"Yes I am. Sean Dorsey, personal aid to Jack Hancock. Welcome to Hancock Realtors. I'll show you to your desk," he said kindly. Lindsay nodded and followed him past the front desk and down a hallway.

After what seemed like a mile long walk they came to a desk that sat outside of another door.

"Alrighty," Sean said, clapping his hands together. "This is your desk here. Feel free to add any personal items you want. My office is just down the hall there so feel free to stop in if you need anything," he offered.

"Thanks," Lindsay replied. She glanced at the door only a few feet from where they were standing. "Is that Mr. Hancock's office."

Sean glanced towards it too before nodding. "Yeah, it is."

Lindsay suddenly noticed how his demeanor changed slightly after answering her question. "Look Lucy, since you're new, I might as well tell you," he started, his voice a bit lower and less cheerful. "Jack isn't the nicest boss. Don't be surprised if the only thing you ever do while working here is fetch him coffee."

Lindsay looked up at him, giving him a small smile. "I'm sure he's not that bad," she offered, more to herself than to him.

Sean nodded slightly as he turned and made his way back to his office.

Lindsay watched him go before turning to look at Jack's door. She contemplated sitting in her chair and waiting for some type of instruction but decided that Lucy Belknap wasn't one to wait.

She walked up to the door and tapped lightly on it. She waited, listening for a response.

When she didn't hear anything, she knocked again, only harder.

She heard a slightly grumbled response which she figured to be a 'come in'. She pushed the door open and made her say inside. She soon found herself to be staring right into the eyes of what looked to be an annoyed Jack Hancock.

"Who are you?" he barked.

His tone caught Lindsay of guard, causing her to step back slightly. She was able to recover, shaking it off and putting on what she hoped to be a polite smile.

"Hi sir, I'm Lucy Belknap, you new assistant. Sean told me…"

"Coffee," he interrupted, staring at his computer screen.

Once again, Lindsay was caught off guard. "Excuse me?"

Jack rolled his eyes before glaring at her. "Coffee, one cream, three sugars. Is that too hard to understand?"

"No sir," Lindsay managed to reply.

"Then why are you still here?"

Lindsay stood still for a moment, replaying the whole conversation in her mind. She bit her lip for a part of her wanted to let Jack Hancock know that he was being a little too rude for liking.

Instead however, she mumbled a 'yes sir' before leaving the office completely.

She closed the door behind her, standing still for a moment. She knew that people in high positions had a reputation for being rather rude, but she was starting to realize how true that was. In fact, Jack Hancock was a downright asshole.

As Lindsay stood there, a small smirk appeared on her face. She had just come to realize that all the guilt and hesitation she was feeling that morning had left her completely. She was sure of it. She had absolutely no sympathy for what was about to happen to Jack Hancock.


	7. Memories of the Past

_Hey! Sorry for the delay. I had the chapter finished but then I had another idea so I decided to run with it. I hope you enjoy it! Also, thanks for the reviews. Special thank you to Holly and girlygater who I couldn't reply to. Also special thank you to Brinchen86 for making the coolest board ever. :)__ (It's in my profile). Okay, enough of that, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Reviews are appreciated._

_And I don't own anything._

_-Andie_

)()()()()()(

Chapter Seven: Memories of the Past

)()()()()()(

_Chicago, 1994_

_He made his way down the hallway, slowly and carefully. As he took his next step, the floor squeaked lightly under his weight, causing him to stop cold. He stood still for what seemed like hours, listening for any type of sound. As he waited, his trained ears did their best to detect the sounds of voices or footsteps._

_Nothing._

_Sid Hammerback let out a small breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding and continued moving forward. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever with no end in sight. He passed window and window, door after door. He didn't stop until he reached the sixth door on the left; the door that meant the most to him._

_It was the door that led to the office of Gregory Anderson, famous architect and one of the city's richest. Once Sid had heard this valuable information, the temptation had been inevitable and he went to work on a plan._

_Surprisingly, the entire process was particularly easy. Gregory was a brilliant architect but not so much when it came to his own home. Everything was simple and old fashion. Sid learned quickly that he didn't even need a team; just himself._

_As Sid reached the office door, he found it to be unlocked. He suppressed that chuckle that threatened to escape his lips. Was this guy seriously this stupid? Not only was the house easy to get in to, but the office was unlocked. Sid couldn't believe his luck. _

_When he moved into the office he smiled, taking in the atmosphere. He had to admit, Gregory had taste when it came to office furniture. There was a nice sized desk in the center of the room and large bookshelves that lined all four walls, as if each book was read. Sid shook his head and moved slowly towards the desk, careful not to make a sound. He looked over the surface, noticing the laptop that sat neatly in the middle, a small metal case full of pens and pencils, and a photograph of Mrs. Anderson in the corner. _

_He walked around the desk and sat in the large brown leather chair placed tastefully behind it. He leaned back for a moment, relishing in the comfort of the seat. For a minute, he contemplated taking the chair too, figuring it would fit nicely in his office. _

_Coming back to the moment, Sid shook his head and brought his attention back to the task at hand. He scooted the chair back and opened the bottom drawer and carefully reached inside, feeling around until his fingers grasped the ring of keys. Careful not to cause any noise, he pulled them out and smiled. _

_Bingo._

_Once again he couldn't believe how easy the whole job was going. Sure, there had been dogs and alarms and security guards on the outside of the house, but that kind of stuff was easy for him. He figured it came with experience; something he had a lot of._

_He knew the lock box was behind the bookcase on his left, it almost always was. It was black and large, made of what Sid assumed to be metal. But like any lock box, it needed a key. Particularly, one from the set in his hand. _

_Once again, too easy. _

_So for the next ten minutes Sid went through all of the keys until he found the right one. Like magic, it opened the box to reveal the large wads of cash within its compartment. _

_Once by one, he loaded the cash into the small black backpack he carried with him. He decided to leave a little, as if that makes up for taking most of it. _

_When he was satisfied, he relocked the box and returned the keys to the drawer in the exact same spot it was earlier. He made sure everything was back in its place before heading back towards the door. _

_That's when he heard it. Footsteps._

_He listened closely and realized that they were coming towards the office. _

_Sid started to panic. Never in his years as a thief has he had any type of encounter with the target and personally, he didn't want to start. _

_Thinking quickly, Sid made a duck to move behind the door, hoping that he would have time to sneak out unnoticed._

_Just as he predicted, the door to the office opened in front of him, blocking his view of the person. He waited for a clear path into the hallway. The figure moved further into the office, their back to Sid._

_Figuring there was no better time than other, Sid moved toward the hallway but stop short when he took in the appearance of the figure. _

_He'd been expecting to find Gregory Anderson in a robe or some member of the staff but instead was surprised to find a figure dressed in all black, much like himself. He contemplated leaving the figure in the office but his instinct told him otherwise so he spoke in a quiet whisper._

"_Hey."_

_The figure's head snapped around in shock, showing that he had no idea of Sid's presence. _

_Not wanted to frighten the obvious thief, Sid held up his hands "Sorry, but I'm not Anderson. I didn't mean to scare you," he whispered._

_He saw that the man still hesitated, his eyes watching Sid closely. They landed on the backpack resting in his grip. "Is that the money from the lock box?"_

_Sid glanced at the bag and then back at the man. "Yes it is. I take it you were coming for the same reason."_

_The man nodded, turning completely to face Sid. He let out a sigh and pursed his lips. "Well I see I was too late."_

_Sid smiled slightly as he shrugged. "It seems as so. But you managed to get all the way to this point by yourself. I'm impressed. Have you been doing this long?"_

"_About a year."_

_Sid raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Impressive. It takes most at least a few years to pull of jobs like this," he commented just as a thought popped into his mind. "Are you busy next week?"_

_The man shook his head slightly. "Not that I know of. Why?"_

"_I could use an extra hand on this job in Nashville. Would you like to be that hand?"_

_He watched as the man seemed to think of Sid's offer. "I don't see why not," was what came from his mouth. _

_Sid smiled and turned to head towards the hallway. He stopped however and turned back towards the man. "I never got your name."_

"_Mac Taylor."_

)()()()()()(

Don Flack was never one to become what people would call smitten with a woman. Oddly enough, Jess was slowly beginning to break that trend.

In the few days they'd know she'd done nothing but impress him. He learned quickly that she was no nonsense and that no one was going to mess with her. No one. She also knew how to get what she wanted.

They sat side by side on a sofa in the lobby of Hancock's building, doing what they were instructed. They were in charge of learning security personnel and so far they had been doing a decent job.

Like the rest of the building, the lobby was impressive, inviting to all who entered the threshold. The black and white tile pattern covered the entirety of the floor, leaving not one piece out of order. The large security desk sat close to a large wall placed strategically in the center of the building. There was a sign on the side of the desk instructing all visitors to sign in with the guards at the desk. It was obvious that the building was not one to invite loiters.

They immediately spotted the head of security, Neil Johns. He wore the standard security outfit but instead of remaining in a certain section, he would patrol around and make sure everyone else was doing their job. He started at the security desk, patting the backs of the two guards stationed there, Fred Banger and Harry Kilenger. Fred and Harry were your stereotypical office security guards: fat and lazy.

Whenever Neil walked away, a box of donuts appeared and the light laughter began. From where they sat, they concluded that the conversation revolved around baseball and woman, two subjects that made Jess want to roll her eyes.

"How predictable are these guys?" she asked in disbelief. "They look like they belong in some stupid romantic comedy."

Don chuckled and glanced at her. "True, but I bet that if these guys are on duty on the big day, things might be easier," he said before glancing back towards the security desk. "Now we just need to figure out the schedule so we know whose here and when."

A small smirk appeared on Jess' face. "I think I have an idea."

Don raised his eyebrows. "What? Are ya just going to walk up and ask for a copy of the work schedule?"

Jess smiled sweetly at him as she shook her head. "Basically."

She rose from her seat and made her way towards the security desk. As she got closer, Don noticed how she flipped her hair and her hips seemed to sway more noticeably, something that caught the attention of both the security guards and himself.

When she reached the desk she smiled sweetly and leaned her elbows on the surface. "Hi, I'm Donna Tomkins. I'm a graduate student over at Columbia. Are you two in charge?"

Fred and Harry glanced at each other in an attempt to subtle. They looked back at her and nodded.

"We're lobby supervisors Miss Tomkins," Henry, the bald one, replied.

"We make sure everything is in tip top shape," Fred, the one with the dirty blonde hair responded.

Jess smiled sweetly, a small laugh coming from her lips. "That's great. We'll you see, we have this paper to write on the heroes of the city and I figured that security guards are some of the most overlooked ones," she paused for a minute, letting her words soak in. "I wanted to come interview two of your best security guards if that was okay."

Henry nodded with noticeable enthusiasm. "Of course that would be okay. I think you looking at the best two right here Miss."

Jess raised her eyebrows as if surprised. "Wow, that's great. I don't have time today but could I get you guys' schedules or something so I know when to come back?"

Fred's hands quickly went to the desk, filing through papers until he picked up a specific one. He handed it to Jess, leaving powdered sugar stains in the corner. "This is the work schedule for all of the guards. Just look for Fred and Henry."

Jess sent one more smile their way. "Thanks," she said before walking away. She made sure her hips swayed seductively as she headed for the exit, not walking back to Don.

He picked up on what she was doing and followed her outside the building. He pushed through the doors and was greeted by the sun's bright light that was being projected onto the entire city. He squinted his eyes as he walked where she stood, a satisfied smirk on her face. She handed him the paper in her hand.

"Who's got it on me?"

Don shook his head with a chuckle. "No one."


	8. And That Makes Ten

_Hey everyone! I'm back with chapter 8. As always, thank you so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them._

_And special thank you to __**Brinchen86 **__for the being the best beta ever! Love ya girl!_

_And I don't own anything._

_-Andie_

)()()()()()(

Chapter Eight: And That Makes Ten

)()()()()()(

_Bozeman, 2005_

_Being born and raised in Montana, one could say that Lindsay Monroe was familiar to the harsh winters of the state. Year after year natives experienced sub zero temperatures and heavy snowfalls, something that visitors classified as impossible living conditions. However, Lindsay had grown up loving the snow, and all that came with it; snow days and ski trips. In fact, she was a self proclaimed winter-lover._

_So when the weather man had predicted record low temperatures that particular January afternoon, Lindsay had thought nothing of it. She dressed in her usual winter coat and simple wool scarf, not bothering for gloves or a hat. The morning hadn't been that bad. Cold yes, but nothing that she couldn't handle._

_Yet, as she stepped out of the local restaurant she called a job, she started regretting her rash decision. Never in her life had Lindsay been so cold. Every inch of her exposed skin stung as it was hit with the ferocious wind that consistently blew in the air. _

_She silently cursed herself, remembering that she had chosen to walk to work that day, knowing that her car was low on gas as was the amount of money in her bank account. She worked two jobs yet she was still struggling with the bills. Times were hard but she kept telling herself that things would get better; they had to._

_She glanced up the sidewalk where she stood and sighed in relief when she spotted the bus stop up ahead. The walk home was at least twenty minutes and the bus ride would shorten it to five. _

_Not needing much time to decide, she immediately began walking towards the bus stop, each step longer than the other in hopes to get there faster. As she walked it seemed like the wind picked up and blew directly towards her. _

_She growled inwardly as she pulled the scarf farther up her neck and tried to cover her ears. She sighed in relief as she neared the bus stop, the small bench coming into full view. She noticed a man sitting on the bench, who seemed to be in the same position as she was in when it came to bearing the weather. _

_She reached the stop and looked up the street, hoping to see a bus coming in the distance. _

_Unfortunately, she saw no such thing so she found herself turning back to the man on the bench. _

"_Um, excuse me, do you know when the next bus is?" she asked politely._

_The man rolled his eyes as he looked up at her, looking like it was hurting to answer her question. "Two minutes," he said with a groan._

_Slightly taken aback, Lindsay gazed at the man before taking a seat on the opposite end of the bench, as far away from him as possible._

_It was just then she realized that the bus was not free and she feared she didn't have any money. She knew the bus cost two dollars and she prayed that she had it. Bravely, her hands venture out of her pockets and into her purse in search of her wallet. She found it and pulled it out, hoping it was filled with at least a few dollars. _

_That however was not the case. The total came to seventy-two cents. _

_With another sigh, she turned back to the man. "Excuse me, but I don't have enough money for the bus but…"_

"_I'm not giving you anything, so don't waste your time," he barked, not even giving her a chance to finish her statement. _

_Lindsay frowned at his rudeness. At that point in time, she considered forgetting about everything and heading home. However every time the wind blew, she pushed the idea aside. _

_She turned back towards the man and considered asking him again. That was when she saw it._

_The man's wallet hung slightly out of his pocket._

)()()()()()(

Lindsay stood at the office coffeemaker for what seemed like the one hundredth time that day watching the steaming brown liquid fill into the plastic pot. Throughout the day she had to keep reminding herself that this new "job" of hers was just temporary and that it was all part of the bigger picture.

Jack however didn't make it easy for her for remember that. She thought maybe that their first meeting was just a rough day for him and that he wasn't really that mean. Boy, had she been wrong.

The man was simply foul. He had no regard for anyone at all. Lindsay had been there all of two days and it was like he had done everything in his power to make her hate him. Not once had he ever called her Lucy. It was always "new girl" or "hey, you". Once she had even gotten a "short, brown hair girl".

Taking in a deep breath, Lindsay did her best to calm down as the coffeemaker beeped, signaling that it was done. She removed the pot and poured the piping hot liquid into a mug. As she replaced the pot back on the machine, she heard her name being called. Well, her other name.

"Hey Lucy."

She turned around to see Sean approaching, a small smile on his face.

"Hey Sean," she greeted.

He nodded and gestured to the coffee on her hand. "I take it that's for the big guy."

She nodded and looked to Jack's office. "Yup."

"So, how do you like working here so far?" he asked.

_I hate it _she thought to herself. "It's great," is what happened to come from her mouth.

Sean gave her a look of disbelief. "Really?" he asked with a smirk.

Lindsay picked up on what he was getting at and found herself relax as her shoulders dropped slightly. "Okay I hate it," she admitted with a small chuckle.

Sean laughed with her, shaking his head in amusement. "Now that seems more realistic. I've never met anyone who actually liked working here," he said with a grin.

"How could they when Jack is such a…" she trailed off, trying to think of the right words.

"Tool, jerk, bum, asshole?" Sean offered with another grin on his face.

Lindsay found herself laughing out loud. "Yeah, I guess those all fit. But I keep telling myself that it's just temporary so that's how I've been able to get through it," she paused for a minute, pondering a different thought. "Sean, if you know Jack is so horrible, why do you even work here? I mean, I'm sure another company would be happy to hire you."

Sean let out a small sigh. "Look Lucy, as bad as Jack is, he is still a mogul, one of the best real estate agents in the city. That's what I want to be in ten years. I mean, believe it or not, I'm learning a lot here. I'm just waiting for the right time to quit and move on."

Lindsay nodded in understanding. She felt bad for in the same two days that she had come to hate Jack; she had really come to like Sean. He was a nice guy and Lindsay thought he deserved better.

"I hope it all works out," she offered, patting him on the shoulder. It was then she remembered that she still had to coffee in her hand. "Oh, I better go give this to the boss man before he has another temper tantrum," she joked, earning a laugh from Sean.

"Oh, um, Jack left to go to a meeting across town," he told her.

She looked at him, her mouth slightly hung open. "Across town?"

"Yeah."

"So why did he ask for coffee if he knew he was leaving?"

Sean shrugged. "He was just being Jack," he said simply.

Lindsay nodded, knowing that that was reason enough.

"Well, I'll see you later Lucy," Sean said before heading back to his desk.

Lindsay waved him off before heading to her desk. She sat the coffee down and waited a minute, glancing around the area outside of Jack's office.

When she saw that it was practically empty, she pulled out her phone and sent a text to Adam.

_I'm ready_

Not even a minute later, she got a reply. _Alright, go for. Camera's are out. Go quick. You've only got like two minutes before they realize it._

Lindsay nodded, put her phone away and moved towards Jack's door. She reached inside her pocket and pulled out the key she had swiped from Sean when they were talking. She felt bad for what he considered a comforting gesture was actually just an opportunity to get the key from him. In fact, she knew that Jack had left the office. She just needed to act otherwise.

_All a part of the job _she reminded herself.

She quickly turned the key inside the lock and pushed her way into the office.

She was quickly greeted by the smell of coffee and cigar smoke; two things that this job had come to make her hate.

Remembering Adam's warning, she pushed the thoughts aside and quickly made her way to Jack's desk and took a seat in his chair.

The job was to simply turn the computer on and Adam would be able to do the rest from the warehouse.

She reached for the screen and turned it on and then reached down to the base of the computer that sat on the floor.

And then she saw it.

_That's not supposed to be there._

)()()()()()(

"Are you kidding me?" Adam exclaimed in the phone, causing everyone in the room to turn their attention to him. "Just take some pictures with your phone and then get out of there," he said before hanging up.

"What is it?" Jess asked, speaking for just about everyone in the room.

"Jack's computer is locked in some kind of safe so Lindsay won't be able to turn it on," he explained.

"What kind of safe?" Mac inquired.

Adam handed him his phone that had the pictures Lindsay had sent over. Mac took the phone and stared at the screen. Sure enough, where the base of the computer was there was a large steel safe, complete with some type of electronic panel.

Mac stared at it, never seeing something like that before. "You can't get into it from here?" he asked Adam.

The younger man shook his head. "I've never seen something like that before."

Mac turned to Sheldon and handed him the phone.

Sheldon looked at the phone, studying the picture carefully. "Well, I can get into it but there's only one problem."

"What?" Mac questioned.

"I can't do without being obvious. Any type of explosive would get us in but then there's still the fact that there's a blown up safe in the man's office."

"What about a chemical or something?" Adam asked.

Sheldon nodded. "I know of some that could do it but then we have the same problem. I think he would notice a hole in the side of the safe."

Mac sighed and ran a hand over his face. This was not part of the plan and at the moment he had no idea of what to do.

Just then, Don and Danny had entered the room, coming up the staircase in the warehouse. As they entered, they noticed the expressions of everyone in the room.

"Whoa, why the long faces?" Don asked.

"Lindsay called," Adam started.

"Wait, is she okay?" Danny asked quickly.

"Yeah, she's fine. It's just that Hancock's computer is covered in some type of safe."

"What kind of safe?" Don asked.

Sheldon handed him the phone and he stared at the screen. "Hey Danno, take a look at this."

He handed the phone to Danny who looked at the picture, a small smile appearing on his face.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Don asked him.

"I am," he answered before looking over at Mac. "We know someone who can open it."

"Who?"

"And old friend," Don supplied.

He looked over at Danny who had already taken out his phone. He quickly dialed a number and held the phone to his ear. After a minute, he spoke into the receiver.

"Hey Aiden, it's me. You busy?"


	9. Time

_Hey all! So I need to apologize for the lack of updates recently. I was sick all last week and between that and school, life is getting busy. Anywho, I've started the next chapter as well so I hope to have it up soon. Thanks for all the reviews. And special thank you to Brinchen86 for the beta. :D_

_And I don't own anything._

_-Andie_

)()()()()()(

Chapter Nine: Time

)()()()()()(

_New York City, 1991_

"_Stop being so loud."_

"_It's not me, it's you. You gotta be so damn heavy-footed."_

"_Heavy footed, really? That doesn't even make sense."_

"_Oh just shut up and come on."_

_The Staten Island junk yard was quiet and restless that peaceful June night. The warm air settled in the atmosphere leaving a still, muggy feeling. The only sounds that were heard were the slow chirps of the grasshoppers as they milled along the tall grassy terrain that surrounded the lot._

_The junk yard was avoided by many, only known for the excessive amount of old and used cars. Most were covered in rust, some so much that it was impossible to determine the original color. It could be said that most bypassed the lot, for there was nothing to peak anyone's interest, except of course for Don Flack and Danny Messer. _

_The two boys were fascinated with cars, both eagerly excited to drive their own one day. The only problem of course was that as 13 year olds, the dream was still extremely far out of reach._

_But, as neither Don nor Danny were patience boys, the moment Danny's older brother had mentioned the junk yard full of old cars, they wasted no time in sneaking out to see exactly what was there. Like they had planned, they both snuck out of their homes and met outside of the fence that surrounded the lot._

_Always on time, Don of course had arrived first, scolding Danny for both his late and loud entrance._

_Danny rolled his eyes but followed Don around the side of the fence until they reached the front gate of the junk yard. _

_Both boys stared up at the large entrance, both contemplating how they would get in. After scanning the top, which was lined with barbed wire, their eyes came to land on the large lock that covered the handle of the gate._

_Danny reached out and pulled on it, causing it to jingle against the metal handle._

"_Damn," he complained. "What are we supposed to do now?"_

_Don stared at the lock for a moment. "I don't know, maybe we can pull it hard enough," he offered._

_Danny stared at him, shaking his head. "Are you kidding me? Don, this is like, that super secure stuff. It's not just gonna break."_

"_Well, I don't see you coming up with anything better Danno," Don fired back._

"_I've got an idea," a voice spoke from the darkness, causing both boys to jump. It wasn't until they saw the familiar figure approaching that they calmed down._

"_Aiden? What are you doing here?" Don asked, trying to hide the fact that she had scared him._

_The young girl shrugged with a smirk. "Just hangin' out."_

_Danny rolled his eyes, annoyed with their friend's obvious sarcasm. "Seriously Aid, how'd you know we were here?"_

_Aiden glanced at Don. "Someone needs to learn how to sneak out of the fire escape quietly."_

_Don rolled his eyes. He and Aiden had lived next door to each other for their entire lives, and like always, she knew him to well. Though Don and Danny would never admit it, they enjoyed hanging out with Aiden, even if they got flack for her being a girl. In their eyes, she was one of the guys._

"_Whatever Aiden," Don said, waving her off with his hand. He turned back to the lock and stared at it. "What are we gonna do?" he asked Danny._

"_Maybe we can try to climb over the fence," he suggested._

"_With all that barbed wire?" Aiden asked coming to stand between them._

"_You gotta better idea?" Danny asked._

_Aiden rolled her eyes and made her way to the lock. She bent down and started turning the knob. She leaned closely, putting her ear near the lock. After a minute, the lock slowly opened, leaving a satisfied look on Aiden's face and shocked ones on Danny and Don's. _

"_How'd you do that?" Don asked in shock as Danny started down at the lock._

_Aiden shrugged lightly as she took the lock completely off the door. "My mom's new boyfriend is a locksmith so there ya go," she offered._

_Danny shrugged, satisfied with her explanation. He pushed open the gate and made his way into the lot. When he saw Don still standing on the other side, he pushed the gate opened wider._

"_You coming?" Danny asked from inside._

"_Yeah, Don, come on," Aiden said with a smirk, making her way inside._

_Don shook his head but followed nonetheless._

)()()()()()(

"And there it is."

Stella looked up from the table to find Adam seated behind his computer with a satisfied smile on his face.

"You're done?" She questioned.

"Yup," he answered, reaching towards the printer next to his laptop. He retrieved the piece of plastic and viewed it for a moment before handing it to Stella. "There ya go Ms. Melina Harris," he said.

Stella chuckled as she took the fake drivers' license from him. "Thanks Adam," she said, staring down at it. "Melina…I like it." She looked up at him with a bright smile on his face.

"Well, uh, thanks, I mean, you're welcome, I guess," he stammered, doing his best to become suddenly interested in his computer screen.

Stella shook her head and stood from the table. She wandered over to her purse to put her new license in her wallet when she felt a presence behind her. "Where ya been Mac?" she asked without turning around. She heard the small chuckle escape his lips.

"Just checking on a few things," he answered.

Stella turned around, allowing him to see the smile on her face. "You and your cryptic answers," she joked.

Once again, Mac chuckled before glancing towards her bag. "I see you're almost ready."

Stella nodded. "Yup. I'm ready for my secret undercover mission," she said with a smirk.

Mac nodded before a serious expression on his face. "Stella, listen, I want you to be careful, alright."

Stella stood still for a moment, slightly taken aback from his statement. "I'll be fine Mac. It's just a library."

"I know but still, just be careful, alright," he said.

Stella nodded. She remained silent though, not sure of how to respond. "I will Mac."

Mac nodded just as the sound of the stairs interrupted. Both Stella and Mac turned to find Danny and Don along with a young looking brunette woman coming up the stairs.

"Hey guys," Danny announced as he fully entered the room, gathering the attention of Hawkes and Sid who were also present. "This is Aiden Burn, and old friend of Don and me," he said, as he turned to Aiden. He went through and introduced Aiden to everyone by name, including Sheldon and Jess who were also in the room.

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said there was a whole team," she said jokingly to Danny and Don, causing the rest of the team to laugh lightly.

The first thing everyone picked up on was her accent that heavily resembled that of Danny and Don's.

"So I take it you're from New York as well, huh?" Sheldon said with a small smile, speaking up first.

Aiden chuckled and nodded her head. "Born and raised."

"That's good. The more people we have that know the city the better," Stella offered.

Mac nodded in agreement before nodding to Aiden. "Don and Danny tell me that you have a knack for safes."

Aiden nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm sure I can get into just about any type."

"Well how about this one," Mac said, reaching towards the desk to pick up the picture that Adam had printed out of the safe in Jack's office. He handed it to Aiden whose eyebrows rose at the sight of it.

"Wow, this is really heavy duty."

"You've seen it before?" Stella questioned.

"Only once. It's a Marx Security Safe Version 32X, one of the most high tech types out there. It has both the traditional lock as well as an electronic wall behind it. The trick is that once you open the traditional lock, a timer turns on and you only have one minute to put in the electronic code."

"What happens if the minute runs out?" Adam asked, speaking for everyone.

"A silent alarm goes off that alerts the security company as well as a spray comes out that has some type of chemical that stays on your skin for like a week, no matter how much you scrub it. And seeing that you guys are trying to rob this Hancock character, I'm sure he has a security team that would come running the moment they get word."

After Aiden finished speaking, the room fell silent, everyone deep in their own thoughts. It was type of silence that equaled doubt. They all knew the safe would be difficult, but actually hearing the levels of complication behind it made the entire situation more nerve racking than anyone had predicted.

Aiden glanced around the room, picking up on the feelings everyone was doing their best to hide. "Look, I know it sounds a little difficult but I'm sure I can get into it."

"You are?" Stella asked her.

"Yeah, I just need one thing."

"What?" Mac inquired.

"Time."

)()()()()()(

No matter the time of year or the time of day, the New York Public Library held the same stature that it always had. It was one of pride and accomplishment. The building was large in its physical mean, standing tall and large against the strong afternoon sun. The mix of the marble and rays of light created dominant streaks of radiance that projected from every angle of the building. Even walking by allowed everyone to feel its tone of seriousness and elegance. This library was not one to simply find a children's book and a teenage novel. It was one that attracted people from all over to become engrossed in the vast amounts of literature in its wake.

As Stella stood outside the building, standing confident and assured that she belonged there. Stella was never one to become intimidated. In fact, she liked to think that it was the other way around. But she knew that in order to complete the goal she had for the day, she had to change her entire to demeanor. She needed to find Peyton and make her believe that she was very different from her true self.

She stepped up the large steps, each one seeming higher than the other. When she reached the door, she pulled it open, and stepped into the building, immediately feeling the strength of the air conditioning throughout the atmosphere.

After moving completely into the building, she sensed the high level of confidence seem to come with the air of the library.

In the area she stood in, there were rows and rows of shelves, all housing books that she was sure she had probably never heard of. The dark mahogany wood highlighted the color of each individual book so it seemed each had its own place and purpose.

Moving her focus back to the reason why she was there, she moved further into the library, her eyes scanning the face of every person she passed, making sure that she didn't miss who she was looking for.

According to the research that Adam had acquired from hacking into the library's computer system, Peyton was on schedule to volunteer that afternoon in the Shakespeare portion of the library.

Knowing she was in the right place, Stella bit her bottom lip, hoping that there wasn't any mistake and that Peyton was in fact there. She moved into one of the rows, glancing around the books. She walking slowly, trying to develop and plan in her head if she didn't in fact find the woman.

Not to seem to out of place, she ran a finger along the spines of the books allowing her to seem like she belonged. Glancing at the familiar Shakespeare titles, she let out a small sigh.

Once again, she went through the entire section, hoping to find Peyton around another corner but again, she came up empty. She stood in one of the aisles and ran and hand through her hair, growing increasingly frustrated. She had been so confident in finding Peyton that it never occurred to her that she might not.

"Um, excuse me," a voice spoke behind her.

At that exact moment, she couldn't help but notice that the voice behind her held a very prominent British accent.


	10. Hidden Reasons

_Hey everyone. Sorry it's been taking so long to update. But I'm doing better so hopefully I'll have more soon. I want to thank EVERYONE for reading and reviewing. It means a lot so thank you very much! And huge thanks to __**Brinchen86 **__for betaing._

_And I don't own anything._

_Andie_

)()()()()()(

Chapter Ten: Hidden Reasons

)()()()()()(

_Phoenix, 1992_

_Adam walked into the library, immediately being grateful for the lack of noises. The only thing that could be heard was the slight humming of the air conditioning and the sounds of books as their pages were turned._

_He had been at home but the arguing had gotten too loud and he just couldn't take it. He was careful in sneaking out of his bedroom, sure that his father wouldn't hear him. _

_Knowing that the public library was the only place within walking distance, 13 year old Adam quickly made his way there, doing his best to keep the tears from falling from his eyes._

_He had kept begging and begging his mother to just leave and then the two of them could find their own place and live together. All she would say was that she didn't have the money. _

_His mother didn't work. It wasn't by choice, well at least it wasn't her choice. Adam's father believed that women weren't supposed to work, only stay at home, cook, clean, and be a punching bag for their husbands._

_Adam sucked in a breath as he took a seat in at one of the public computers available._

_He was used to sitting there, as were the librarians. They saw him regularly but never asked questions, something which he was grateful for. No one knew of his family's situation and he liked it that way. _

_Logging on to the computer, he sat for a moment, thinking about what to do._

_And that's when the idea came into his head. _

_He hesitated, knowing it was illegal and if he got caught, he would probably be in a jail cell for the rest of his life. __It wasn't until the sounds of his mother's screams entered his mind did he realize that the risk of going to jail was one he was just going to have to gamble with._

_Quickly moving his fingers in the keyboard, he swiftly executed the plan that had come together in his mind._

_Ten minutes later, he stared at the screen, shocked at what he had just done._

_All the screen said was: Funds from the account of Eric Ross successfully transferred to the account of Brenda Ross._

)()()()()()(

"_Um, excuse me," the voice spoke behind her._

Stella took in a deep breath before turning around to face the woman behind her. She found herself staring into the eyes of the one and only Peyton Driscoll Hancock.

There was no denying that Peyton was a beautiful woman, with dark hair that flowed over her shoulders gracefully, like a waterfall. Her face had prominent features that did nothing but highlight the natural beauty that existed in her. Her green eyes watched Stella full of concern as she opened her mouth to speak again.

"I couldn't help but notice that you seemed to be a little frustrated. Perhaps I could be of assistance."

Stella put on a polite smile as she brushed a curl from her face. "Oh, do you work here?"

Peyton nodded. "I do, well, more like volunteer but even when I'm not on the schedule, I still seem to find myself wandering the rows of books," she answered with a light chuckle. "I'm Peyton Driscoll," she said, extending her had towards Stella.

Stella did her best to hide the expression that she wanted to make when she noticed that the woman didn't add Hancock to her name. Pushing the thought back, she extended her own hand to meet the woman's in a shake. "I'm Melina Harris," she said with a bright smile. "Nice to meet you Peyton."

"Likewise," Peyton returned. "So what exactly were you looking for Ms. Harris?"

"Oh please, call me Melina," Stella said with the wave of a hand.

Peyton let out a light chuckle. "Alright Melina, how can I be of service."

"Well, see, I'm new to the city and I really have a passion for reading but I have no idea how to find any books in this gigantic library," Stella said, using her hands to exaggerate her point. "I have a true passion for classic books, actually."

"Oh really?" Peyton asked surprised.

Stella laughed playfully and nodded. "You probably think I'm weird huh?"

Peyton shook her head. "Oh, not at all. In fact, I like books like that as well."

Stella smiled brightly at the woman. "Really, that's so interesting. Most people don't."

Peyton nodded in agreement. "I know exactly what you mean. What's your favorite if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, it's _Wuthering Heights,"_ Stella said, knowing what was coming next.

Peyton eyes widened as she looked at Stella with a wide smile. "Oh my, that's mine too. I've actually lost count of the amount of times I've read it," she told Stella.

"Ha, I have too," Stella said. "And I thought I was the only one."

Peyton shook her head. "I guess not anymore," she told her before looking around. "If you want, I could show you to some of my other favorite sections."

Stella gave the woman a satisfied smile. "I would love that."

)()()()()()(

Never in her life had Lindsay been happier to see five o'clock. Working in Hancock's office gave the same schedule as most of the workforce in the city: the dreaded nine to five.

She never knew why but she hated the idea of working all day long. Normally she would have a simple waitressing job that would allow her to work evenings or early mornings so she never ran into the rush hour traffic that most had to.

Now was different however as she sat at her desk, staring at the clock. The moment it hit five, she stood from her desk and grabbed her work bag which had been ready for a half hour. She had no idea why she was even there since Jack had meetings all day in a different part of the city. She assumed that she would go as well, but apparently she was the office assistant, not the traveling one.

Pushing her chair underneath the desk, she straightened her jacket and headed towards the elevator doors, waving bye to the various works her were still there.

She continued walking until she heard someone call her name…or rather her fake name. She turned around to see Sean walking up behind her.

"Hey Sean," she said with a smile.

"Hey," he returned. "You heading home?" he asked.

Lindsay nodded. "Yeah."

Sean paused for a minute before speaking again. "Well a couple of us were gonna head out for some beers to celebrate the fact that it's Friday and the boss man is going away for the weekend…"

"Wait, Jack's going out of town this weekend? I thought he normally worked then too," she interrupted, surprised at what he was saying.

Sean nodded. "Yeah normally he does but he has to go to D.C. for the weekend which means we're all going to be off," he answered.

"And the office is going to be empty?" she asked enthusiastically.

Sean nodded slowly, confused by her reaction. "Yeah pretty much. I mean, some of us our scheduled to work but I doubt anyone will show up," he said before eyeing her curiously. "Why?" he asked.

Lindsay quickly recovered, not wanting to seem as eager to go as she was. "Oh, nothing. I just didn't know that this office was ever actually empty," she said with a light chuckle. She began to move closer to the elevators, eager to spread the information she had just received.

"Hey," Sean started. "What about those drinks? You wanna come?"

Lindsay shook her head. "Oh, no thanks. I got a lot to do, you know errands," she said, backing into the now open elevators. "But thanks for the offer. See you Monday," she finished, though Sean didn't hear all of it since the doors had then closed.

Sean stood there, puzzled for a moment. Shaking his head, he walked back his desk so he could start his weekend as well.

)()()()()()(

"Are these the blueprints to the office?" Aiden asked.

Danny nodded. "Yup," he said, coming to stand next to Aiden.

He and Aiden, along with Mac, Don, Jess, Adam, Sheldon, and Sid, stood around the large table in the warehouse. They had the entire floor plans of the buildings laid out, creating a large map across the table.

Adam leaned over and pointed to piece of the blueprint. "Hancock's office is on the side," he said.

"While the elevators are on the opposite end on this side," Don picked up, pointing to another portion.

"So basically, we need to figure out how to get Aiden from this side to that side without anyone noticing," Danny said.

"Well, according to Lindsay, a lot of people stay late into the night, including Hancock himself," Mac said.

"What about the weekend?" Aiden asked

"The weekends they are almost just as busy as the weekdays," Sheldon told her.

"Well maybe we should try it during the day. Maybe it's easier to have her blend in with the office," Jess proposed.

"The only problem would be Hancock himself. If he's on his office, he would notice," Sid added.

"That won't be an issue."

Everyone turned to see Lindsay enter the room with a smile on her face, moving to stand in between Mac and Sid.

Aiden eyed her for a minute before glancing at Don who nodded slightly. They both then turned to look at Danny who seemed to stand up a little straighter.

"What's got you so happy, Montana?" he asked.

Lindsay rolled her eyes and prepared to say something when she noticed Aiden beside him. "You must be Aiden. I'm Lindsay," she said with a polite smile.

"Nice to meet you, Lindsay," Aiden said with a smile.

"You too," Lindsay replied before giving Danny an annoyed look.

"Lindsay, you were saying something about Hancock won't be an issue," Sid asked.

Lindsay nodded, the smile she had returning to her face once more. "Apparently Jack is going on a business trip this weekend. Even though a lot of people are supposed to work, a lot of people don't show up and even if they do they don't stay late."

"Which means that by Saturday night, the office is going to be practically empty," Mac said.

Lindsay nodded. "Which means that that's probably the best and only opportunity we have to get in there."

"So, you're saying that Saturday night is the night?" Sid asked.

Lindsay shrugged. "I don't think we have any other options."

Mac nodded. "I agree. We need to plan to be ready to break into that office on Saturday night."

"Uh, Mac," Adam said.

"Yes Adam."

"Um, it's just that Saturday night is tomorrow. That means we pretty much have less than a day to plan."

Mac nodded. "So I guess we better get started."

)()()()()()(

Stella made her way into the warehouse later that evening, her arms full of books that she had checked out of the library. She entered the main room, dropping the books on a side table, before looking around the room.

She was surprised to see everyone deep in conversation, standing around the table. She moved closer, curious to the meaning of all of serious looks.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked.

Lindsay looked up and nodded. "A little stressed I guess."

"We have to figure out how to plan everything out for tomorrow," Aiden told Stella.

"Tomorrow?" she asked surprised.

Jess nodded. "Jack's going to be out of town and the office is going to mostly empty so Mac figured it was the best time."

Stella nodded in understanding, before glancing around the room. "Where is Mac anyway?"

"He stepped outside for a minute," Don said, motioning towards the door.

Stella nodded and followed his nod.

She walked out of the warehouse into the warm summer evening. It was the point of the day when the sun was beginning to go down and the sky seemed to becoming a bluer blue. The sounds of grasshopper competed with the sounds of cars driving along the busy streets; carrying New Yorkers who were eager to start there weekend.

Stella saw Mac standing on the side walk, looking out into the street.

"Mac," she said softly.

He turned around and gave a small smile when he saw it was Stella. "Hey Stella. How'd it go with Peyton?"

"Great actually. We're meeting for tea on Monday," she said. "But Mac, I still don't see what she has to do with it."

Mac sighed and turned back towards the street. "It'll come together later," he told her.

Stella crossed her arms as she joined Mac in looking out at the street. "So tomorrow, huh?"

Mac nodded. "It's the perfect opportunity."

Stella shrugged. "I guess. But, you don't think it's a little too soon?" she asked

"I don't see any other choices," he answered.

"Well, maybe we could do some more research or something. I mean, doing this tomorrow adds a lot of risk to this whole thing."

"Listen Stella, tomorrow night is the best option we have. If we want to get Hancock, we have to act now," he said, his voice growing louder.

Not at all intimidated, Stella stood her ground, her voice raising as well. "I know Mac but we also have to act smart and I don't know if doing this so soon is the smart thing."

"Stella, just drop it okay," he countered

"No, Mac. I refuse to let you put this team at risk for some personal vendetta you may have against Hancock?"

"What makes you think I have a personal reason for robbing Hancock?" Mac replied, both of their tones growing stronger.

"Oh come Mac, I can see it in your eyes. You want Hancock for more than just his money."

"That's not true," he said. His level of his voice dropped heavily, yet the frustration was still there.

"Really, Mac. You know, you're not that great of a liar."

Mac sighed as he stuck his hands in pockets. "It's because of what he did to Claire," Mac said softly.

Stella eyed him confused. She opened her mouth to say something when she was interrupted by a voice behind her.

"Hey Mac, we have a question for ya in here," Danny said.

Mac nodded, and followed Danny inside, glancing at Stella before he left.

Standing alone, Stella turned back to the street, with one question in her mind. _Who was Claire?_


End file.
